[Sca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets

[Johnna Holloway]

According to OED---Beet was

A plant or genus of plants (N.O. Chenopodiaceæ), having, in cultivation,
a succulent root much used for food, and also for yielding sugar. There
are two species, the Common or Red Beet (Beta vulgaris), found wild on
the British coasts, and cultivated in several varieties, both as an
esculent, and as an ornamental foliage plant, and the White Beet (B.
cicla), chiefly used in the production of sugar. Formerly almost always
spoken of in plural `beets,' like beans, pease, greens, etc. Now usu. in
sing. form, but the pl. form is still current in the U.S.

    * C. 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 226 Þás wyrta sindon.;éað beeatra, béte
      and mealwe;
    * 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. xxii. (1495) 616 Men may graffe
      on a bete stocke as men doon on a Caustocke.
    * A. 1400 Cov. Myst. 22 Erbys and gresse, both beetes and brake.
    * C. 1440 Promp. Parv, 34 Betys herbe, beta.
    * 1551 Turner Herbal. (1568) F iij a, There are twoo kyndes of
      Betes, the white bete whyche is called sicula, and blake betes.

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Nancy suggested: Your best bet might be to look at other receipts in 
that same cookbook, since if you see a list of "greens" (i.e. spinach, 
sorrel) and beets, my assumption is that the beet greens are meant. 
Sometimes the author will refer to "beetroots" specifically.  But as 
"beets" are listed by themselves, I think they could be interpreted 
either way.
Nancy Kiel

I did a browse through the Stuart Press transcription of The Good 
Huswifes Handmaide and didn't find any other mention of beets. So---
the text is no help.

So what do other texts say--
I did some other searching-- and it is here that the full text version
of EEBO is proving valuable for one can search under just "beet" or 
"beets" and find references such as this---

Estienne, Charles, 1504-ca. 1564. [The French original is 1560's.]
Title: Maison rustique, or The countrey farme 1616  lists "beet" in four 
scattered places and "beets" under 30--- these include:

CHAP. XVIII.: Of Beets and Blites, white and red.: _BEets,[Beets.] as 
well th ...
  ...  CHAP. XVIII.: Of Beets and Blites, white and red.: 
_BEets,[Beets.] as well the vvhite as the blacke and red, vvhich is c ...
  ... : in respect whereof, I could aduise the gardiner not gather any 
seeds of the beets to sow, but such as the beet shall bring forth the 
third for of such see ...
... hall bring forth the third for of such seed there grow verie faire 
and goodly beets. / If you would make choyce of faire beets, chuse 
rather the white than either the  ...
...  for of such seed there grow verie faire and goodly beets. / If you 
would make choyce of faire beets, chuse rather the white than either the 
lacke or red, as being the fair ...

THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE COVNTRIE HOVSE. > OF GARDENS. > CHAP. XXIIII.
• ... h: and for the taking away of the same, you must eat a raw Beane 
by and by after, or the ribbe of a Beet rosted in ashes, or some 
Smallage or greene Parsley: or which is better, if you loue Garlicke,  ...
THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE COVNTRIE FARME. > Of Hawking. > CHAP. LVIII.
• ...  day alwaies betwixt, that is to say, one day, and not the other. 
Seeing to it, that you giue her a beet leafe, or some other, vpon the 
day that you shall giue her pure water to drinke. The same remed ...

Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.
Title: Kalendarium hortense, 1666
speaks of in March---
Thyme, &c. / Sow in the beginning Endive, Succory, Leeks, Radish, Beets, 
Chard-Beet, Scorzonera, Parsnips, Skirrets, Parsley, Sorrel, Bugloss, 
Borrage, Chervil, Sellery, Smalladge ...

so one sees beets and Chard-beet.

The 1658 edition of The French gardiner instructing how to cultivate all 
sorts of fruit-trees and herbs for the garden specifies---
THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT. IV.
  ...  SECT. IV.: Of Roots. / THe Red Beet,[Roots. Parsenp.] or Roman 
Par|snep, as the greatest, sha ...
THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT. V.
  ... CT. V.: Of all sorts of Pot-hearbs. / WE will begin with the white 
Beet or Leeks as being the greatest of all the Pot-hearbs,  ...
... ore spent then of any of the rest.[Beet-leeks] / The white Beet or 
Beet-Card (for so some will call it in imitation of the Picards, ...
...  Spring, which will furnish you with Leeks very early. / There is a 
Red Beet[red Beets.] if you desire to have of them, for Curio ...
SECT. V.
... with Leeks very early. / There is a Red Beet[red Beets.] if you 
desire to have of them, for Curiosity rather  ...
... a second dry|ing, lest it become musty; for being of a spongy 
substance, as the Red Beets are, it will continue a long time moyst. /
  ... e a long time moyst. / There is another sort of Beets, which is 
called Oracke,[Orache.] very agree| ...


Evelyn helped translate this from the French by the way.

The 1653 Pharmacopœia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory says
A CATALOGUE OF THE SIMPLES CONDUCING TO THE DISPENSATORY. > ROOTS.
• ... nd red; as for black Beets I have no|thing to say, I doubt they 
are as rare as black Swans. The red Beet root boyled and preserved in 
Vinegar, makes a fine cool, pleasing, clensing, digesting sawce.
The 1649 A physicall directory says the same.

Woolley, Hannah, fl. 1670.
  The queen-like closet; or, Rich cabinet of 1670
calls for beets in
CLVI. A Friday Pie with out Fish or Flesh.: Wash a good quantity of 
green Beets, and pluck out the middle string, then chop them small; with 
two or three ripe Apples well rel ...
and in CCXX. To make boiled Sallads.
  ... n more Butter and a little Salt, so serve them to the Table, thus 
you may do Lettuce or Spinage, or Beets. /  ...
--------------------------
It appears that both are mentioned at least in the 1600's.


What's interesting is that this same discussion went on back in the mid-
late 1990's on the list and is set out in Stefan's files. I don't know 
that we will ever reach a definative answer now anymore than people did 
then.

If a housewife in the 1590's encountered this recipe, my guess is that
she might use either depending upon local customs and produce available.
I see this as being a great project for an A&S entry for someone---
take the recipe and make it in a variety of ways perhaps in 4 inch tarts
with varying cheeses, using both the leaves or the roots.


Hope this helps--

Johnnae llyn Lewis